Solving The Problem

My opportunity is 'Caffeine lovers/cravers drink their coffees/energy drinks in a boring and repetitive fashion and have no single venue to go to to supply all their coffee wants and needs. This is due to a lack of innovation and diversity in the products sold.'

I want to create a store that fosters ALL caffeine wants and needs with creativity. The store would supply various flavors of ground coffee, spunky coffee containers (spill proof), different milk flavors, coffee creamers, coffee toppings, different hot cocoa flavors (for young kids), caffeinated water, juices and soda, caffeinated tasty snacks and fun caffeine related merchandise and have some affiliation to kids with ADD (donate money to an ADD foundation since caffiene typically helps people to focus). If possible, I would like to have a cafe attached that doesn't just make coffee but makes it in a gourmet and exquisite fashion.

Identifying Opportunities in Economic & Regulatory Trends

1. China's economy is slowing

https://www.forbes.com/sites/yuwahedrickwong/2018/08/23/the-reality-of-chinas-economic-slowdown/#3dbaa86a4d86

• China's economy has been expanding a lot slower than usual due to their contributors not being as productive. There is an opportunity here since the contributors can become more productive or China can find successful contributors as of now. China would be the customer, seeking contributors. This opportunity would probably be hard to exploit because if finding new contributors/making the current ones more efficient was easy, China's economy would be back to normal by now. 
• This problem doesn't seem impossible to solve, so I saw the opportunity in it. I have no experience in solving something like this, just optimism. 

2. U.S. Healthcare Issues

https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/06/the-3-reasons-the-us-healthcare-system-is-the-worst/563519/

• Healthcare in the U.S. has posed many issues for Americans from how expensive it is to the quality of care. There is an opportunity here since other countries are in better positions in terms of healthcare than the U.S., so there must be a way to improve. The U.S. government would be a customer since they deal with healthcare. 
• This opportunity won't be easy to exploit but if changes are made now, then improvements should be seen in the near future.

3. European migrant crisis

https://ec.europa.eu/echo/refugee-crisis

• Europe has been receiving irregular amounts of immigration from the Middle East and Africa. There is an opportunity here to allocate portions of the immigrants to different European countries rather than large amounts only to a few countries, as this article mentions a few countries the immigrants move into. The European Union heads would be customers to figure out ways to spread the immigrants more thoroughly throughout Europe to avoid too much complication.
• This opportunity I believe wouldn't be too difficult exploit but there may be major consequences as a result.

4. Burning of fossil fuels

http://www.sustainablebuild.co.uk/problemsfossilfuels.html

• There has been an ongoing issue with the effects of burning fossil fuels for a while now. Carbon emissions are increasing and global warming is worsening. There is an opportunity here to set stricter rules on limiting fossil fuels, more efficient enforcement on those limits. The U.S. government would most likely be a customer since U.S. residents have such large carbon footprints. 
• This opportunity would be hard to exploit but worth it to mitigate the damage done on Earth.

Identifying Local Opportunities

1. Gainesville commission delays picking interim city manager

https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AGSGB%21Gainesville%2BSun%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0103%21January%2B03&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/170C36F5024AEA00

The former interim city manager resigned from his position due to a lot of criticism from many of Gainesville. Soon after, positions for temporary interim city manager opened up but some officials think the a few circumstances are unfair, causing the delay in picking Lyons' temporary replacement. The problem is that without a city manager, there would be no communication between Gainesville citizens and city government officials. This delay prevents citizens from properly getting their concerns across to the city council. 


2. Group argues some springs clean-up plans lacking


https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AGSGB%21Gainesville%2BSun%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0104%21January%2B04&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/170C8A3E23B93F98


Florida has created insufficient cleaning plans of some river and basins that the FSC claims needs to be fixed. The problem is that if these natural habitats don't get cleaned, it will ruin the ecology of them. This impacts the wildlife that lives in these habitats and humans that benefit from the resources of the habitats and the wildlife that dwells in these places.

3. Utah lowered its DUI limit. Will other states follow?

https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AGSGB%21Gainesville%2BSun%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0104%21January%2B04&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/170C8A3DE91F5FD0

The state of Utah lowered the legally drunk limit from 0.8 to 0.5, making it easier to get a DUI, and now other states may be considering the same. The problem is that though this is safer for the residents, people will feel that cannot fully enjoy themselves without getting in trouble with the law. This affects the drinking population of Utah and potentially other states like Florida. 



4. GPD: More unlocked vehicles burglarized

https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AGSGB%21Gainesville%2BSun%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0107%21January%2B07&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/170D8BC4164DF9E8

In addition to other car burglaries, eight vehicles were burglarized due to being unlocked in Gainesville. This is a problem because people's belongings are actively being violated. This affects those with cars who tend to leave their doors unlocked.


5. Hurricane forecasts could suffer from government shutdown

https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/document-view?p=WORLDNEWS&t=pubname%3AGSGB%21Gainesville%2BSun%252C%2BThe%2B%2528FL%2529/year%3A2019%212019/mody%3A0108%21January%2B08&f=advanced&action=browse&format=text&docref=news/170D8BC4A1F67158

The government shutdown is preventing hurricane services from gathering information on potential dangers in the future. This is a problem because citizens need warnings to prepare for hurricanes as they can be life threatening. This affects American residents in places that experience hurricanes, like Floridians.

Bugs

1. When showering in my dorm, the water always seeps out onto the bathroom ground

• The edge of the shower isn't high enough to prevent the water from running on the floor.

2. The elevator in my recently built dorm operates very slowly

• The system operating the elevator isn't updated (only one of the elevator doors is accessible)

3. I miss the bus very easily, even though I track it.

• The bus tracker isn't 100% accurate and doesn't alert me when it arrives at the nearest and correct stop. Also the next available bus takes 20-30 minutes to arrive at the stop I’m at.

4. I can't recycle my items easily

• There are no recycling bins provided in my dorm and the main recycling bin is located downstairs with no shoot that leads to it

5. It takes me 15 minutes to walk from my dorm to my classes

• My dorm is located a bit off campus

6. I cannot bake foods in my dorm building

• The dorm doesn't provide an oven 

7. My refrigerator/freezer freezes a lot of my refrigerated food

• My refrigerator/freezer is small and there is not much of a separation between the freezer and refrigerator

8. There are limited crosswalks on the street, causing me to walk extra distances to get to my intended destination

• Gainesville/UF designed the layout of the city/campus and where to put crosswalks

9. The nearest exits of the hallway that my dorm is located in, are many steps away from my dorm room.

• My dorm is situated in the middle of the extended hallway, so I'm not that close to any exit

10. The roads of Gainesville are so narrow I feel like I'll hit another car while driving

• Gainesville council/landscapers designed the city to accommodate many people due to it being a college town, so instead of big roads, there are narrow roads and a plethora of parking spaces on the side of the streets

11. There are limited parking spaces at convenient store

• Many of the stores surrounding UF are average sized, meaning the parking lot space is limited, which makes it hard to find parking

12. UF SNAP drops me off at the back and leaves immediately, rather than the safe front of my LLC

• The SNAP drop off/pick up location sign is at the back of my LLC

13. UF cleaning staff barely cleans my bathroom

• The staff is lazy (maybe because they are assigned too many rooms to clean)

14. My backpack gets heavy very easily and hurts my back

• The backpack doesn't have enough cushion to support all my items and not hurt my back

15. Drop/Add period isn't long enough to see if a class is right for me

• The university only permits one week to revise schedules

16. The walk to my car is too far from my dorm

• The university doesn't have parking for kids in my dorm, must find alternative/affordable parking 

17. My shoes rub harshly against my toes when I walk

• The material used for the shoe is rough

18. The thermostat doesn't have a 'right' temperature

• It doesn't have more temperature options (i.e. 75.6 degree Fahrenheit)

19. When closing my garbage shoot, trash particles disperse onto my face

• Trash is often thrown in the shoot and dust particles form and build up from the trash

20. I must press the traffic button to be allowed to walk even when its my right of way

• The traffic button was designed to be pushed rather than automatically allow people to walk 

Reflection: My "bugs" all stem from being a college student here at UF, living in Infinity Hall. I don't think about these bugs too intensely but when I took time to identify them, it simple listing specific annoyances I have throughout my daily life with goods and services. When coming up with the list, I had some bugs that weren't related to goods or services, so I had to change them to align with the assignment. Other than that, I had no problem identifying issues.

Forming an Opportunity Belief: A Twist on Opportunity Identification

I believe an opportunity exists.There aren't enough secluded study spaces on campus. College kids (UF students) who focus in quiet/relatively empty spaces that aren't their rooms have this problem. This problem has always existed. With limited options, people are forced to study in crowded and noisy places and/or study at unconventional hours when many people are sleeping or elsewhere to get to the appropriate study environment. When studying under these conditions, some students cannot focus on the material before them or are too tired to comprehend the information. This can lead to lower test scores, leading to lower grades, lower GPAs, lower chances of graduate school acceptance and low self-esteem. I've seen and heard of this problem that I believe is very preventable if more spaces were created/utilized (allowed old rooms in every building to be used as a nice study space).

Customer #1 (UF student that studies at Library West)

• What is the problem you run into when studying in public? "It's so hard to find space in the library because all the study rooms are always occupied but when I do its usually around others who remain quiet during their time there."

• When do you realize your surroundings are becoming an issue? How often do you encounter this issue? "Whenever I leave my headphones at home (often) and don't have anything to block the distractions out, I notice the people around me and their loud conversations."

• Did you just start noticing this issue when you got to college? "Yes, because I just started studying in public when I got here. I would study in my room, but I get easily distracted in places of comfort. Before college, I would study in my family dining room since there were minimal distractions there."

• When did you first become aware that you work better in silent/empty spaces? Why? "I've always known that I get easily distracted and need a place that allows me to focus."

• What do you do when people start distracting you? "I move to another area or just leave the library."

• Are you okay with how you deal with this conflict? "Not really, but it's whatever."

• Do you think this has inhibited your test grades? If so, how does that make you feel? "No I don't think it has, but who knows?"

Customer #2 (UF student that studies at Newell and study room in LLC)

• What is the problem you run into when studying in public? "It's difficult to find a secluded space at Newell during the daytime for me, however, when I do it's relatively quiet. I typically don't have any issues studying in my LLC, but sometimes people can get a little loud."

• When do you realize your surroundings are becoming an issue? How often do you encounter this issue? "Whenever I lose focus. It usually do a good job of blocking out the noise but can get overwhelming."

• Did you just start noticing this issue when you got to college? "No, I usually had some distractions at home as well as now, but I got used to those. I'm still learning how to block out  very prominent noises whenever it becomes an issue (in LLC)."

• When did you first become aware that you work better in silent/empty spaces? Why? "I actually can work well when there is some background noise, but I've mostly run into distractions here at UF."

• What do you do when people start distracting you? "I leave."

• Are you okay with how you deal with this conflict? "Yeah. I don't have this problem too often and its no big deal."

• Do you think this has inhibited your test grades? If so, how does that make you feel? "No, this does not cause my grades to suffer."

Customer #3 (UF student that studies at the Reitz Union Center)

• What is the problem you run into when studying in public? "People are loud and inconsiderate."

• When do you realize your surroundings are becoming an issue? How often do you encounter this issue? "It gets loud when too many people come and I experience this everyday."

• Did you just start noticing this issue when you got to college? "It has always been a bit of a problem, but it has gotten out of hand since I've been in college."

• When did you first become aware that you work better in silent/empty spaces? Why? "I learned that I work best in this kind of environment in middle school. Whenever I was in study groups or the library, I realized it was hard for me to take in information with so many people around since I get easily distracted."

• What do you do when people start distracting you? "I try to ignore the distractions but if it becomes intense, I ask people to quiet down or just leave."

• Are you okay with how you deal with this conflict? "I'm not okay with always having this issue, but I understand this is college and it's expected just not appreciated."

• Do you think this has inhibited your test grades? If so, how does that make you feel? "It possibly could be affecting my grades, but I don't know."

What I got from this interview: The customers collectively take some issue with at least the noise aspect of the opportunity. However, none seem to associate the problem with their school performance. Customer #1 seems to acknowledge the opportunity and is bothered by it to some extent. Although Customer #2 has experienced the problem ,they seem to be the least affected. Customer #3 shared almost the same level of concern I have for this issue (a lot). I'm surprised that though they were annoyed by the distractions, they haven't put much thought into a better solution nor do they care to after I brought it to their attention.

Summary: Though I didn't hear the exact responses I wanted, I still believe an opportunity still exists with too many people and noise in a study space. However due to the replies I received, I don't think my opportunity is as accurate. I came up with this opportunity based on first and second hand experience, but I conducted no research to see if this was a problem for many people before the interview. I think entrepreneurs should slightly adapt their opportunities just so that more people can identify with it and care about it. Entrepreneurs I think shouldn't alter the opportunity but simply add on to it to apply to more potential customers. 

Entrepreneurship story

In the Fall semester of 2018, I joined LaunchPad Scholars, a semester-long entrepreneurship program in Infinity Hall. We had the task of creating a startup company in the matter of ten weeks for an idea we developed as a group of eight. We agreed on the problem being the struggle college students have with food, since we all had own issues with it. It was a relatable problem, but it was very broad as we considered many different ideas involving food. With all of the ideas put on the table, none were fully executed because we didn't put enough effort to make anything happen. As a group member, I felt useless because I didn't have much to contribute to the cause. I couldn't come up with ideas or help with research because I wasn't creative enough and didn't know how to go about the research process. I decided to take ENT3003 in an attempt to learn how to go about entrepreneurship and see if it's something I'm capable of navigating. I hope to apply the skills I learn from this class to my future entrepreneurship endeavors.